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Canterbury and Warwick local plan key moves

The planning inspector considering Canterbury City Council’s draft local plan has recommended postponing the second stage of its examination while the LPA investigates meeting a higher housing need.

The council had proposed making provision for 780 new homes each year over the lifetime of the plan. The inspector has concluded that the yearly figure should be 800.

The inspector has told the council that in other respects the plan passes the “soundness” test and the planning authority has satisfied the duty on cooperation with neighbouring authorities.

The inspector has asked the council to provide more information on the viability of infrastructure linked to the main housing allocations and has suggested it should look again at sites that were not allocated to see if they can be brought forward for early delivery.

He has highlighted three sites: land south of the John Wilson Business Park in Chestfield, land south of the A28 in Hersden and land south of Thanington, for which a planning application described as ‘Thanington Park’ has already been submitted.

The inspector noted that the council currently did not have a proven five year housing supply, which, if not remedied, would mean the plan would be unsound.

Meanwhile members of Warwick District Council have voted to request a suspension of the district’s local plan examination. This move followed an unsuccessful bid to persuade Communities Secretary Greg Clark to intervene after the inspector examining the strategy rejected it on the grounds it needed significant changes before it could progress.

The council has now proposed a timetable of further work which it insists means the examination could resume in September next year.